§ COLONEL NORTHasked the Secretary of State for War, If it is true that the facings and buttons of the Regiments in Her Majesty's Army are to be assimilated; and, whether Regiments which have been granted badges or marks of distinction for conspicuous gallantry in the field or for other reasons are to be deprived of them?
§ SIR HENRY STORKSThe facings of regiments are not to be assimilated. The regimental button for infantry has been abolished, and one pattern with the Royal arms adopted. There is no intention of depriving regiments of badges or marks of distinction, which will continue to be worn on the collars instead of on the buttons. This change was determined upon in 1870 in consequence of the difficulty which occurred in clothing the Army during the Franco-German War, owing to the variety of patterns, and His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief proposed—1, to abolish regimental buttons, and to substitute for them an universal pattern, the regiments to receive a money allowance for the purpose of providing and maintaining regimental distinctions which, borne hitherto on the button, would be worn in future on the collar; 2, to abolish regimental drummers' lace, and to adopt one pattern for the whole Army; 3, that all badges with regimental distinctions should be provided and maintained by regiments out of a money allowance. Previous to this arrangement there existed the following numbers of different patterns:—Buttons, 269; drummers' lace, 180; badges, 250;—total, 699. Upwards of 650 patterns have been abolished, and the Clothing Department simply provides an uniform to make the soldier effective, leaving the regiment to supply, out of a money allowance, any badge or distinction granted for service in the field, or for any other reasons.